Guide rail adjusting mechanism



Nov. 24, 1959 A. F. GROLL 2,914,204

GUIDE RAIL ADJUSTING MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

ALVIN F. GROLL ATTORNEYS Nov. 24, 1959 A. F. GROLL 2,914,204

GUIDE RAIL ADJUSTING MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

ALVIN F. GROLL Nov. 24, 1959 A. F. GROLL GUIDE RAIL ADJUSTING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 21, 1958 INVENTOR. ALVIN F. GROLL Nov. 24, 1959 A. F. GROLL GUIDE RAIL ADJUSTING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 21. 1958 Isa Q) L? Viki:

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INVENTOR. ALViN F. GROLL BY 92 W ATTO ENEYS United States Patent 2,914,204 GUIDE RAIL ADJUSTING MECHANISM Alvin F. Groll, Napoleon, Ohio Application April 21, 1958, Serial No. 729,766

4 Claims. (Cl. 214-501) This invention relates to material handling equipment and in particular to improved mechanism for maintaining guide rails of an apparatus for handling rolls of sheet metal equally spaced from a center line of the path of the material across the apparatus as the spacing between the rails is varied to accommodate various widths of material.

Sheet metal to be processed by punching or stamping is ordinarily supplied in large rolls weighing thousands of pounds which may be of various widths depending upon the articles being made. It is customary to provide machinery for holding and unrolling the rolls of sheet metal and straightening the sheet metal stock as it is being fed into a punch press. Because of the great weight of the rolls of sheet metal it is necessary to provide apparatus for mechanically loading the rolls of sheet metal into the uncoilers or unwinders that feed the sheet metal to the press. This equipment must be very sturdy to withstand the large forces involved in handling such heavy rolls of sheet metal and must furthermore be readily adjustable to accommodate the various sizes of rolls that may be used in a particular manufacturing plant.

The principal object of this invention is to provide transfer apparatus for handling rolls of sheet metal in which the spacing between guide rails of the apparatus is easily adjustable and in which the guide rails are always equally spaced from the center line of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for oppositely rocking a pair of guide rail assemblies in equal amounts to keep the guide rails equally spaced from the center line of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide an axially restrained, rotatable cross shaft threaded end portions engaged in nuts pivotally mounted in guide rail frames for equally rocking the frames in opposite directions.

An ancillary object of the invention is to provide simplified motor operated means for adjusting the spacing between guide rails of a sheet metal handling apparatus.

More specific objects and advantages are obtained from sheet metal roll handling apparatus constructed according to the invention.

According to the invention, a ramp for handling rolls of sheet metal is provided with a pair of guide rail frames which are rockable or tiltable for varying the spacing be tween the rails and which are inter-connected by means of a rotatable cross shaft having oppositely threaded ends having oppositely engaging portions of the rail frames and having a center 1 portion engaged with the frame of the ramp for prevent- Fig. II is a fragmentary isometric view of portions of the guide rail frames and the cross shaft for adjusting the frame positions.

Fig. III is an enlarged fragmentary section taken sub,- stantially along the line III-III of Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a side elevation with parts broken away to show a modified form of the invention.

Fig. V is a fragmentary isometric view of portions of the guide rail frames having motorized adjusting mechanism for adjusting the spacing between the guide rails.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary section taken substantially along the line VI-VI of Fig. V.

Fig. VII is a longitudinal vertical section as seen from the far left side of Fig. I.

Fig. VIII is a view similar to Fig. VII with the table tilted to discharge the material thereon.

These specific figures and the accompanying description are intended merely to illustrate the invention and not to impose limitations on its scope.

As illustrated in the drawings, the apparatus for handling rolls R (Figs. VII, VIII) of sheet metal and delivering such rolls to press feeders or similar equipment comprises a main frame or cart 10 carried on a set of flanged wheels 11 that are mounted in a box-like end portions of the frame end and are adapted to run on spaced parallel rails similar to a railroad track.

The frame 10 has a fixed upper surface or deck 12 across which the material may be rolled into a press feeder or similar equipment. During temporary storage of the material it rests on a tiltable deck 13 that is pivotally connected to the frame 10 by pivot pins 14 defining a pivoting axis or hinging axis adjacent the fixed deck 12. Spacing blocks, not shown, are used between the frame and the end of the tilting deck 13 remote from the hinge axis so that the tiltable deck 13 slopes slightly toward the hinge axis. This provides a tendency for the rolls of strip stock material to roll toward the fixed deck 12. This rolling of the material is checked by an automatic chock 15 that is pivotally mounted on a horizontal pin 15a fixed to the underside of the tilting deck 13 near its centerline and which has an end projecting up through a slot 16 in the deck in position to engage the roll R of strip stock material. The chock 15 bears on a roller 17 mounted in the frame It) and is shaped so that when the tilting deck 13 is in its nearly level position (Fig. VII) the end of the chock sticks up through the slot 16 to engage the strip stock and hold it from rolling on across the deck. When the deck is tilted to cause the stock to roll the chock 15, because of the elevation of the pivoted end, rocks on the roller 17 thereby lowering its raised end out of the path of the strip stock thus releasing it and allowing it to roll freely toward the fixed deck 12.

Tilting motion of the tiltable deck 13 is produced by admitting air or hydraulic fluid under pressure to a power cylinder 20 that is mounted in the frame 10 and which has its piston rod 21 connected through a short link 22 to the underside of the deck 13. The size of the cylinder 20 is selected according to the available pressure of the hydraulic fluid or air that is used to actuate the cylinder so that the total force exerted by the piston rod 21 can tilt the table 13 even though it is loaded with the heaviest roll of stock ever to be handled. Y

The rolls of material as they roll across the tilting deck 13 and fixed deck 12 are guided by a pair of guide rails 25 forming the upper part of a pair of guide rail assemblies 26. Each of the guide rail assemblies, in addition to the guide rails 25, comprises a pair of upright arms 27 which at their lower ends are provided with collars 28 that are securely pinned to shafts 29, one for each assembly, journaled in the frame 10. The spacing between the guide rails 25, which must be I varied to accommodate the various widths gf stripstqclg Patented Nov. 24, 1959 rolls being handled, is adjusted and controlled by rotationv of a cross shaft 31 which has oppositely threaded ends 32 and 33 threaded through nuts 34 and 35 which in turn are fitted with trunnions- 36, 37 pivotallymountedin boxes 38 andr39 formedtaspart of the, uprightarms127. P eferably the end 32 of the shaft 31 is provided with right hand threads while the end 33'is provided with left hand threads.

Rotation of the shaft 31 asby turning its handwheel 40 in a clockwise direction brings the guide rails 25 closer together while rotationin the opposite direction separates the guide rails.

Longitudinal motion of the threaded cross shaft 31, which if permitted, would allow the guide rails 25 to move freely sidewise in unison is prevented by providing the threaded cross shaft- 31 with an enlarged central section 41 and a pair of collars or washers 42 that are a slip fit over the threaded portions of the shaft 31. The collars are engagedbetweentheshoulders at the ends of the enlarged central section 41 and finished surfaces 43 of a pair of slotted arms 44 projecting from a portion of the frame 10. The endplay of the shaft 31 is held to a minimum to prevent any back lash inthe positioning of the guide rails 25.

The cooperation of the collarsor washers42 with the slotted arms 34 is shown in greater detail in Fig. III. As is indicated inthis figure the shaft 31 has considerable freedom or side play in the islets in the arms 44 and the collars 42 have similar side clearances with respect to the offsets at the edges of the finished surfaces 43. The slots in the arms 44 are necessary to allow the shaft 31 to rise and fall as the nuts 34 and 35 follow arcuate paths determined by their distances from the shafts 29.

A motorized version of the improved roll handling equipment is illustrated in Figs. IV, V and VI. In this embodiment a frame or chassis 51 is provided with flanged wheels 52 for supporting it from a track extending along its intended path of movement. A tilting deck 53' is pivotally attached to the chassis 51 by hinge pins 54 adjacent one edge of the frame and at the other side remote from the hinge axis has a fixed chock 55 that cooperates with the deck 53 to provide a shallow pocket for receiving rolls of sheet metal and holding them against rolling off of the deck 53 in either direction. A hydraulic cylinder, not shown, is included in the chassis 51 in a position beneath the fixed chock 55 and connected to the tilting deck 53 so that it may elevate the deck to reverse the inclination and cause the roll of sheet metal 011 the deck to be rolled off the right hand end of the deck as shown in the figure.

A pair of guide rails 56 on upright arms 57 are provided to guide the rolls of sheet material carried on the deck 53. The lower ends of the arms 57 are provided with collars 58 that are pinned to parallel shafts 59 journaled in the chassis 51 and that serve to hold'the guide rails 56 in parallel alignment.

The guide rails 56 may be moved toward or away from each other by rocking of the guide rail frames on the shafts 59. This rocking of the guide rail frames is controlled by a cross shaft 61 having a first end 62 provided with a right hand thread and having second end 63 provided with a left hand thread. The threaded portions engage similarly threaded nuts 64 and'65 pivotally mounted in boxes 66 and-67 attached to or forming part of the upright arms 57 of the guide rail frames. The shaft 61 has anenlarged central section that carries a sprocket 70. Immediately adjacent the sprocket on each side and facing against shoulders at the ends of the enlarged central section are apair of, washers or collars 71 which in turn bear against thrust bearing, blocks 72'. The thrust bearing blocks are offset having a first portion arrangedto slide vertically-in slo ts-73 cut'inside walls 74 of an open ended'box-like bracket-forming part of the chassis'51and asecond portion of larger size to en: gagethe faces ofthe side walls-74adjacent'the slots 73'.

Thethrust bearings, 72 are preferably rectangular in form to match the sides of the slot 73 so that they may slide in the slots without rotating.

A drive sprocket 76, on the output shaft of a gear reduction motor 77 mounted on the frame 51, is connected through a sprocket chain 78 to the sprocket 70 and serves to rotate the shaft 61 as may be required to change the spacing of the guide rails 56. The motor 77 is mounted in the frame. 51 in a position such that its output shaft, carrying the sprocket 76 for the chain 78, is at approximately the same elevation as the shaft 61. Furthermore, the motor is positioned so that the chain 78 is fairly loose so that it may thus accommodate any variation in the center to center distance between the motor and the shaft 61 that may occur as the shaft 61 moves up or down in following the vertical component of the arcuate motion of the nuts 64 and 65.

This mounting arrangement and adjusting means for the guide rails of apparatus for handling rolls of sheet metal provide a relatively simple, rugged machine having very few parts to get out of order or require maintenance and yet having the strength to withstand all the heavy. duty to which it may be subjected.

Various modifications may be made in the details of construction without losing the advantages of the simple structure for performing the required operations.

Having described the-invention, I claim:

1. In a device for transporting and temporarily storing rolls of sheet metal, in combination, a frame including a roll supporting surface, a pair of shafts journaled in the frame in spaced parallel alignment with the path of a roll of sheet metal over the frame, a pair of arms rigidly attached to each of said shafts and extending in a generally upright direction, a guide rail mounted on each pair of arms, a nut mounted on trunnicns on one arm of each pair of arms in a position spaced from said shafts and below the roll supporting surface, a cross shaft having oppositely threaded portions engaged in said nuts, said shaft having a shouldered section, means on the frame engaging the shouldered section to prevent longitudinal movement of the threaded shaft, and means for rotating the threaded shaft, whereby the spacing between said guide rails is adjusted.

2. In a device for transporting and temporarily storing rolls of sheet metal, in combination, a frame having a roll supporting surface, a pair of shafts journaled in spaced parallel alignment with the path of movement of a roll of sheet metal over the surface, a pair of arms rigidly attached to each of said shafts, and extending in a generally upright direction, a guide rail mounted on each pair of arms, a cross shaft mounted transversely of said parallel shafts and passing closely adjacent one of the arms of each pair of arms, said cross shaft having oppositely threaded portions adjacent said arms, a nut pivotally mounted on each ofsaid arms and threadedly engaged with the cross shaft, means mounted on the frame and engaging the shaft for preventing longitudinal movement of the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft.

3. In a device for transporting and temporarily storing rolls of sheet metal, in combination, a frame having a roll supporting surface, a pair of shafts journaled in the frame at a level below said supporting surface, said shafts extending parallel to the path of a roll across the surface, a pair of arms rigidly secured to each shaft, and extending in a generally upright direction, a guide rail mounted oneach pair of arms, a nut pivotally mounted on one of each pair of arms, a cross shaft having oppositely threaded portions engaged with the nuts, means on the frame engaging the cross shaft to prevent longitudinal movement thereof, a motor mounted on the frame, and means connecting the motor to the cross shaft for rotating the cross shaft to effect variation insp acing ofsaid guiderails'.

4. In adevice for positioning rolls of sheet'metal and delivering such rolls to unwinding equipment, in combina- 2,914,204 pp 6 tion, a frame having a roll supporting surface, a pair of a reversible motor mounted in the frame at generally shafts journaled in the frame in parallel alignment Iith the same elevation as the cross shaft, and a chain drive the path of the material across the supporting surface, said connecting the motor to the cross shaft. shafts being below the level of said supporting surface,

a pair of arms extending upwardly from each shaft, a 5 References cued the file of thls Patent guide rail mounted on each pair of arms, a pair of oppo- UNITED STATES PATENTS sitely threaded nuts pivotally mounted one on an arm of 2 710 104 Putman June 7 1955 each pair of arms, a cross shaft threadedly engaged in the nuts, means on said cross shaft engaging the frame FOREIGN PATENTS for preventing longitudinal movement of the cross shaft, 10 1,061,178 France Nov. 25, 1953 

